Cali was selected by the Florida Panthers in the 2nd round (48th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Cali turned his first OHL season into a draft case, putting up 16 goals and 36 points in 47 games as a North Bay rookie and trending up late, then committing to Providence for 2026-27. He’s listed at 6-2 and 209 pounds and is one of the youngest players eligible, born in September, so the body and the pace both have room to grow. The foundation is detail and hockey sense: he wins races to open ice, protects pucks below the dots, and reads lanes other 17-year-olds don’t attempt, though the creativity tips into turnovers when he forces it. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 25th among North American skaters, and he showed up on the big stages, scoring at the Top Prospects Game and chipping in for Canada at the U18 Worlds. For fantasy he profiles as a middle-six center whose points come from inside the dots and net-front work rather than perimeter flash, with secondary power-play value if the offense keeps climbing. The college route means patience, and he’s a multi-year hold. A realistic ceiling is a 45-to-55-point two-way center, with the bet being that added strength and speed unlock more than his OHL line suggests.